The over 92,000 internally displaced in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) can expect more comprehensive government support to address their basic needs and access to services, livelihoods and settlement solutions as a result of a new law, a first-of-its kind in the country thanks to the work and commitment of BARMM legislators, supported by the United Nations.Bangsamoro Autonomy Act  No. 62 or the Rights of Internally Displaced Persons of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region Act of 2024 came into effect on 4 December after being signed into law by BARMM Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim in November.“The United Nations in the Philippines commends the BARMM Parliament for passing this critical legislation that protects the rights of people who have been forced to flee their homes by conflict or disaster and provides pathways for the development of durable solutions to their displacement,” said United Nations Philippines Resident Coordinator Gustavo González.Amid the ongoing implementation of the peace process, the passage of the BARMM IDP Law represents a significant victory for communities in the region that have been protractedly displaced by past conflicts, as well as those who are continually and cyclically displaced—either by extreme weather events, by violent clan and land disputes, or by clashes between the security sector and armed groups that did not sign up to the 2014 peace agreement. Among the salient features of this law are measures to prevent displacement, identification and institutionalization of IDPs’ rights during and post-displacement, and provisions for voluntary return, local integration, or resettlement, as well as IDPs’ participation in the development of early recovery and rehabilitation plans in conflict-affected areas.The law creates the Bangsamoro Internal Displacement Coordinating Council (BIDCC) and the Bangsamoro Internal Displacement Program within the Ministry of Social Services and Development for better coordination and management of government support for IDPs.The United Nations has been strongly advocating for the passage of this law at both the regional and national levels to safeguard the rights of displaced populations and forge pathways towards long-term solutions to protracted and cyclical displacement, most often caused by armed conflict, disputes over land, and unchecked extraction of natural resources in the region.The development of the law was supported by the UN, including with funding from the UN Peacebuilding Fund. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, has provided technical draft legislation for the protection of IDP rights. UNHCR provided capacity for parliamentarians and legislative staff on displacement and IDP rights, as well as consultations that directly informed and enhanced the IDP Law. UNHCR also supported development of 16 municipal-level ordinances on IDP protection.UN Joint Programmes with the participation of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), as well as UNHCR, have supported the Bangsamoro peace process and critical peacebuilding initiatives over the years by providing technical support to mediators, empowering conflict-affected communities and capacitating regional and local governments as well as civil society.The ongoing Joint Programme for the Sustainable and Empowering Displacement Solutions for Peace (SEEDS for Peace) helps address the causes and impacts of conflict-induced displacement by strengthening governance processes and systems, improving IDPs’ access to rights and services, boosting socio-economic inclusion and creating safe and voluntary pathways to resolve situations of displacement – all of which bolster the legal safeguards for IDP rights now enshrined in the newly enacted law.“In the wake of this legislative victory for IDP rights, the United Nations urges national authorities to prioritize the passage of a national IDP bill—a version of which has already been passed on third and final reading in the House of Representatives,” said Mr. González. Various versions of the bill are under deliberation in the Senate.To complement these laws for the protection of IDPs, the United Nations continues to advocate for the passage of an Indigenous Peoples (IP) Code in the BARMM. This would address the concerns of non-Moro IPs, particularly on issues of ancestral domain, which are the territories and resources historically and culturally tied to indigenous groups. Disputes over these lands are a root cause of conflict and displacement in the region. “The United Nations reiterates our commitment to supporting the continuing implementation of the peace process in the region by helping address pervasive issues, such as internal displacement, land disputes involving ancestral domain, and other emerging concerns, particularly those of the region’s indigenous peoples,” Mr. González said. (end) MEDIA CONTACT
Fritz Flores
National Information Officer
fritz.flores@un.org
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 The announcement was made with the launch of the revised Humanitarian Needs and Priority Plan (HNP) which aims to support urgent and lifesaving needs.“Following more devastation in an unprecedented typhoon season affecting almost 13 million people, the Humanitarian Country Team has since increased its target to US$ 42.4 million (or PhP 2.47 billion) under the updated HNP – with US$ 10.5 million from the UN-CERF”, UN Philippines Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator Gustavo González said at a briefing with the press Thursday. UN-CERF’s contribution is aligned with the ongoing relief efforts of the government and will be implemented by the World Food Programme (WFP), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF).“These overlapping typhoons aggravated the humanitarian situation and exhausted local response capacities across all regions affected. The time to act is now,” he added.Over the last five weeks, the Philippine Humanitarian Country Team (HCT), led by the United Nations, is urging donors and partners to come forward and help relief efforts through the HNP. As of December 5, 2024, a total of US$20.1 million (PhP 1.17 billion) is needed to meet the revised targets while at least US$22.3 million (PhP 1.3 billion) of contributions are already identified under the plan. The updated HNP will now support more than 535,000 people in nine key provinces in Luzon including Batanes, Cagayan, Isabela, Aurora, Batangas, Camarines Sur, Albay, Catanduanes, and Camarines Norte. It will help the government and humanitarian partners in delivering lifesaving assistance – from emergency shelter, health, nutrition, water, early recovery, to hygiene and sanitation support over the course of the next six months. Initial funding requirement for the HNP was pegged at US$ 33 million (PhP 1.92 billion) to assist 210,000 individuals.“In a global context of competing humanitarian crisis, we are grateful for the massive support of friends of the Philippines to our HNP, said Gonzalez. “We count now with contributions from various partners, which represents more than half of the targeted amount”, Gonzalez said. The government of the United States of America has committed US $6 million to support logistics, shelter, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), and other initiatives related to disaster response. The Australian government also allotted US$ 3.5 million for food security, gender protection, and livelihood recovery efforts while Germany pledged US$ 400,000.Contributions from the governments of the United Kingdom (US$ 1.25 million through UNICEF and WFP) and Canada (US$ 355,872 through WFP) will also be allocated to the 4Ps Program.The government of the Republic of Korea pledged a US$500,000 contribution to help disaster response in the country. The cash assistance will complement ongoing aid by the Department of Social Welfare and Development and WFP to the Bicol region, particularly under the 4Ps (Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino) Program. “We are gradually making strides in gathering resources and thankful to each and one of our donors who heeded our call,” González said. “We still urge our partners to continue helping us fill long-term and critical gaps for recovery and help us reach the targets under the Humanitarian Needs and Priorities (HNP) Plan.” Directing support to the most vulnerable communitiesResources gathered under the updated HNP will benefit hard hit communities in the province of Catanduanes, among others, where super typhoon Pepito (internationally known as Man-Yi) made its first landfall on 16 November.Catanduanes Governor Joseph Cua also emphasized the urgency for recovery assistance as most communities in the province are reliant on agriculture as their primary source of income. The province is known for producing 35 per cent of the country’s abaca (Manila hemp) supply.With most of the agricultural areas destroyed by the series of typhoons, other sources of income are also cut off, said Ariel Sanchez, a local barangay chieftain. He is looking for cash handouts to replace earnings of locals until agricultural production is restored. “We earn money here by selling snacks [from farm produce] but those were also destroyed by the typhoons,” he said.Around 11,500 homes in seven towns across Catanduanes have been damaged. Meanwhile, officials from Camarines Sur reported that around 700 mm of rain fell on the city following the typhoon period – equivalent to at least 2.5 months of average precipitation.“But the most affected families are those living in the coastal areas. Until now, they have no houses. Others are staying in school buildings but those are also damaged,” according to a resident from Garchitorena, Camarines Sur.Garchitorena is a fourth-class coastal municipality in Camarines Sur facing the Pacific Ocean. With strong winds brought by typhoon Pepito, residential areas were severely damaged, and roofing materials used to shield their homes were swept away. The Provincial Public Safety and Emergency Management Office of Albay (APSEMO) looks at relocation efforts as one of its long-term recovery measures to minimize the impact of future typhoons, which are expected to be even more severe due to the effects of climate change. The government evacuated 1.8 million people in preparing for the typhoons, and this has made all the difference, according to experts.“Preemptive evacuations have saved lives, and this has been a clear good practice at local government units,” said Melindi Malang, Humanitarian Affairs Officer at the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).Preventive measures as best practiceUN Philippines is closely working with the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) to ensure coordination efforts are aligned with priorities to reduce casualties. “Six big typhoons in the span of five weeks is something the country has never seen since recording began in 1951. There is no denying that climate change is a crude reality – especially for the most vulnerable communities who are not even the major contributors to global warming,” Gonzalez said. , filtered_html

MANILA, 12 November 2024 – The Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) in the Philippines has launched the Humanitarian Needs and Priorities (HNP) Plan, aiming to support 210,000 of the most affected people in northern and southern Luzon, specifically in regions 5, 4A and 2, mainly impacted by the past typhoons. The HNP is requesting US$32.9 million in funding to support partners in delivering critical lifesaving and protection efforts over the next three months, focusing on vulnerable groups, including women, girls and persons with disabilities.Over the past month, the Philippines has endured a relentless series of tropical cyclones, with five major storms already hitting the country and two more expected in the coming weeks. The succession of these severe weather events has placed considerable pressure on local communities and the government’s capacity to respond effectively.“Typhoons are overlapping. As soon as communities attempt to recover from the shock, the next tropical storm is already hitting them again. In this context, the response capacity gets exhausted, and budgets depleted,” UN Philippines Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Gustavo Gonzalez said.Now, the looming arrival of Tropical Cyclone Usagi (Ofel), forecasted to make landfall by Thursday or Friday and the anticipated entry of Tropical Cyclone Man-yi into the Philippine Area of Responsibility, deepen concerns about worsening the humanitarian situation.“The Humanitarian Country Team has been mobilized since the first impact of “Kristine”. NGOs, UN agencies and the private sector are presently working hand in hand with the various departments and LGUs. The new HNP is expected to fill critical gaps in those areas heavily impacted by the series of typhoons,” according to Gonzalez.The United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) has approved $3.5 million in humanitarian funds for UNICEF, IOM, WFP, FAO and UNFPA. CERF is one of the fastest and most effective ways to deliver critical humanitarian assistance to those affected by crises.“We call on resource partners to rapidly support the HNP and fill critical funding gaps generated by an exceptional series of storms. The HNP will help us mobilize the capacities and resources of the humanitarian community to better support government institutions at national, regional and local levels. Coordination with the NDRRMC has been exemplary and we commend the leadership of the Office of Civil Defense in setting humanitarian priorities,” Gonzalez added.On behalf of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno expressed appreciation to the HCT and partner agencies in the development of the HNP and urged them to bolster the government’s response capacity.Download the full Humanitarian Needs and Priorities Plan here.For inquiries, contact OCHA Philippines:
Joseph Addawe, Officer-in-Charge/Information Management Officer
Email: addawe@un.org Melissa Correa, Humanitarian Affairs Officer
Email: melissa.correa@un.org  For further information, please visit - [OCHA Philippines] - (www.reliefweb.int) To join or leave our mailing list, please email: ochaphilippines@un.org , filtered_html

The UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Road Safety Jean Todt visited Manila from 7 to 11 November to promote road safety initiatives and advocate for enhanced measures, particularly on wearing safe helmets. Mr. Todt also promoted the #MakeASafetyStatement campaign, a joint initiative of the United Nations and JCDecaux to amplify the core messages of the New Decade of Action for Road Safety, which aims to halve road fatalities by 2030.To kick off his mission, the Special Envoy met with President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., who pledged to create a road safety task force composed of representatives from the health and transport sectors who will work with the United Nations on road safety initiatives. Mr. Marcos also announced that the Philippines will participate in the 4th Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety, which will be held in Morocco in February 2025. During his visit, Mr. Todt also met with Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista, Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa, Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Romando Artes, and representatives of the international community and private sector to advocate for improved road safety measures, particularly in law enforcement and education.The visit of the Special Envoy comes two weeks after Severe Tropical Storm Kristine (internationally known as Trami) swept through the Philippines, flooding cities and villages and causing severe damage to road infrastructure. His last visit to the country was in April 2023.  The silent pandemicEvery year, road-related fatalities claims the lives of 1.19 million people, leaving countless others with severe injuries. This silent pandemic overwhelmingly affects developing nations, where over 90% of the road traffic fatalities occur. Furthermore, road crashes are the leading cause of death for children and young adults aged 5-29 years.  According to the World Health Organization, road crashes kill almost 9,000 people in the Philippines each year, representing a road traffic fatality rate of 10/100,000 population, while the rate is 6.5/100,000 in Europe (WHO 2021).  Wearing a safe helmetWhile there are many causes of road crashes, such as the non-reliability of the vehicles and of the road’s infrastructure and design, the lack of post-crashes services, weaknesses in the road safety management, a dangerous road user’s behavior is still one of the main factors that lead to road fatalities. Asian countries have experienced rapid motorization in recent years, especially concerning motorized 2-3 wheelers. According to the Department of Health, 65% of road crash victims are motorcycle riders“Wearing a helmet responding to the UN standards is a game changer. It reduces the risk of fatality by 42% and of injuries by 69%,” stressed the Special Envoy. #MakeASafetyStatementThe #MakeASafetyStatement initiative launched globally in cooperation with JCDecaux Global promotes the UN Global Road Safety Campaign, which aims to raise awareness of life-saving road safety measures. The campaign, which will run through 2025 in over 80 countries, seeks to reduce risk factors, especially in urban areas, to enable people to walk, live, and enjoy their environment safely.  Sixteen global, and dozens of national, celebrities have joined forces to advocate for simple and effective road safety rules: wearing a seat belt, driving safely, wearing a helmet, not texting and driving, not driving under the influence or while tired, and respecting pedestrians. While in the Philippines, Mr. Todt met with International Olympic Committee member Mikaela “Mikee” Cojuangco-Jaworski and Olympic gold medallist in weightlifting Hidilyn Diaz to garner Filipino athletes’ support for the #MakeASafetyStatement campaign.Among the artists, athletes and celebrities who have already pledged to support the campaign include F1 drivers Charles Leclerc and Mick Schumacher, motorcycle racer Marc Marquez, tennis legend Novak Djokovic, football icons Didier Drogba and Ousmane Dembélé, double Olympic Champion in track and field Faith Kipyegon, cyclist Tadej Podacar, Oscar-winning actress and UNDP Goodwill Ambassador Michelle Yeoh, actors Patrick Dempsey, Michael Fassbender, Jean Reno, and Julie Gayet, singer Kylie Minogue, musician Youssou N'Dour, and supermodel Naomi Campbell.--- About the Special Envoy: Former United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, appointed in 2015 Jean Todt as his Special Envoy for Road Safety. He was reconfirmed in this role by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, in 2017 and in 2021. In 2018, together with 14 UN organizations, the Special Envoy launched the UN Road Safety Fund (UNRSF). The Special Envoy contributes, among other things, to mobilize sustained political commitment to make road safety a priority; to advocate and raise awareness of UN legal instruments on road safety; to share established good practices in this area; to strive to generate adequate funding through strategic partnerships between the public, private and non-governmental sectors., filtered_html